


An Autumn Day

by avislightwing



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Brotherly Angst, Gen, otherwise known as the only Eris I will ever write, who even knew that was a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 04:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10868988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avislightwing/pseuds/avislightwing
Summary: Short one-shot in which Eris isn't so bad and Lucien doesn't want father/son bonding. Inspired by valamerys' post here:  https://valamerys.tumblr.com/post/160423135440/yalenayardeen-but-i-need-my-terrible-father-son





	An Autumn Day

Lucien only lasted five days in the Day Court.

“Helion is the _worst_ ,” he informed Eris, pacing up and down the room. “The worst. He’s trying to set me up with my own mate. He has a flock of birds that follow him around his palace and perch on his shoulders. I’m at least fifty percent sure he slept with Azriel last night. And he keeps trying to get me to wear togas. Do you realize he walks around barefoot? Everywhere?”

“I wasn’t aware, no.” Eris’s voice was irritated and sarcastic. “At least not before the first three times you mentioned it.”

Lucien glared at his brother, but with no real antipathy. It had been three years since the war with Hybern, and he and Eris had what could be called a close but careful relationship. It partly resulted, Lucien thought, from being the only ones left; Beron and their other brothers were dead at Eris’s own hands, and had been since not but two months after the war had ended. Their mother lived, but not in the manor. She resided in a well-protected cabin near the Spring border, and seemed much happier for it. Eris, now High Lord of Autumn, ruled alone. A year into his rule, he’d invited Lucien to stay for a week. Lucien had agreed, but with a strong dose of suspicion and accompanied by both Feyre and Cassian – two people who had plenty of reason to hate his brother. To his surprise, Eris was cordial, if not exactly warm, and now…

Lucien still had not forgiven Eris entirely. He doubted if he ever would. Nothing could give Lucien back a childhood where he had a brother he could rely on, and nothing could bring back Jesminda. But they were trying.

And, Lucien thought, he had to admit that it was handy to have somewhere to take refuge when his father became just too much.

“He’s insufferable,” Lucien went on. “He has no regard for propriety. And look.” He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a pink, painful-looking tinge to his golden-brown skin. “Thanks to his insistence that I ‘blend in,’ I look like this _everywhere_.”

This finally drew a snort of laughter from Eris, who looked up from the papers spread out on the table before him. “You could tell him you prefer your normal clothes,” he pointed out.

“I’ve tried,” Lucien said, his voice pained. “I have. But I’m also trying to make an effort with him. Togas are the least of it.”

“Did you just come here to complain?” Eris sighed. “Because if so, I must inform you that I’ll be spending the rest of your stay ignoring every word you say.”

Lucien softened slightly. “Only mostly. How have things been?”

Eris almost smiled. It was more a twitch at the corners of his mouth than anything. Lucien still has never seen him truly smile – the closest is this attempt. He doesn’t count the cruel smirk Eris wore for years. “Fine. Quinn keeps steadfastly refusing my advances.”

Lucien dropped into a chair. “I thought he liked you.”

“I did as well.” Eris shrugged, and for the first time, Lucien thought that his brother looked tired. “But it’s his choice, of course. Speaking of which…”

“Mor doesn’t want to see you,” Lucien said flatly.

“I don’t blame her.” Eris rolled the wooden fountain pen he’d been using to sign documents between his fingers. “I only wish… No. It’s too late for that now.”

“Why do you want so badly to see her?”

Eris studied the pen, then shook his head. “Have you visited our mother lately?” he asked Lucien.

Lucien knew a deliberate change of subject when he heard one, but he nodded anyways. “Last month. She seems to be doing well.”

“Good. That’s good.”

“And you?” Lucien asked carefully.

“I’m High Lord, little brother. What more could I ask for?”

A home that isn’t an empty palace, Lucien thought. A people who didn’t think you slaughtered one of their own. A family who wasn’t dead or estranged. A partner. A friend. “I don’t know.”

“How are you and Elain doing? You said that Helion –”

Lucien groaned, cutting Eris off. “Cauldron, don’t go there. She’s been spending a lot of time in the Dawn Court – she’s having trouble with her Seeing again, and Thesan thinks he can help. She hasn’t rejected the bond, and she’s visited the Day Court twice, once when I was there and once when I wasn’t. She’s all right with me being around and sometimes speaking to her when I visit the Night Court. It’s… working, for now.” And after what happened with Jesminda, Lucien was surprised to realize he didn’t mind that things were progressing slowly.

“What is it like?” Eris asked. “Having a mate?”

“It’s like…” Lucien made a fluttering motion with his hands. “It always feels faintly like this, here, in my chest.” He pressed his hands to his heart. “It gets stronger when Elain gets closer, and fainter when she’s farther away. That’s about all I feel of it. I think Elain feels a lot more.”

Eris shook his head brusquely. “I’m glad it’s working for you. Personally, I hope to never find a mate.”

“Really?” Lucien said, surprised. “Why not?”

Eris gave Lucien a long look, until Lucien shifted uncomfortably and looked down. “Why do you fucking think? When was the last time you heard something about mating bonds that didn’t have to do with _getting the female pregnant_ and _passing on strong magic_ and shit like that?”

“I didn’t think about that,” Lucien admitted.

“No one does, unless they have to,” Eris muttered. He carefully gathered his papers up and stacked them up, aligning the edges. “So, have you run away from daddy dearest for good, or are you going to go crawling back to him with your tail between your legs?”

“There’s no call to be a prick,” Lucien said, but without venom. In the time they’d grown to know each other, Lucien realized that Eris (much like himself) used his sharp tongue as a weapon – and a shield. He sighed. “I should go back, I suppose. Helion may be incredibly annoying, and, Cauldron knows, embarrassing as hell, but he means well.”

“He’s also intelligent, clever, and probably more knowledgeable about – well, anything – than anyone else in Prythian,” Eris pointed out. “You might learn a thing or two from spending time with him and his court.”

“Maybe,” Lucien said grudgingly. He stood up and prepared to winnow back to the blazing sun of the Day Court. Then – “Eris?”

“What?”

“Thank you. For listening. And Eris?”

This time he looked up. “What?”

“If you ever need anything… send a message,” Lucien said quietly. “All right?”

Eris looked at him for a long moment. “I won’t. But all right.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm birdiethebibliophile on tumblr


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